Latch for hinged members



1954 J. w. HENDRICKS ET AL 2,686,042

LATCH FOR HINGED MEMBERS Filed Oct. 26, 1950 Patented Aug. 10, 1954 LATCH FOR HINGED MEMBERS JamesiW. Hendricks, Gardnenand Draper :P. Royce, Springfield, Mass, assignors "to Gem Grib,-and Cradle Com corporation of Massac Da l .Gardner,..Mass., a husetts Allp icationzfictober 2s, 1950;SeriaLNo.;I92;171

'lGlaim. 1

This invention relates to new and improved latching means for a pair of hinged members and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a latching means which is safe and cannot pinch the fingers of children being particularly useful in play yards, cribs, etc., used for infants.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a pair of hinged members each of which is provided with a recess, said recesses being in prolongation of each other and together forming a single recess when the members are aligned, one of said members receiving a slidable latch for reception in the other recess when the members are aligned and including means in the latter to engage and latch said member.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a perspective view of the top rail of a play pen or crib illustrating the inside aspect of the hinge and rail thereof, parts being in section;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the outside aspect thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in elevation showing the new latch;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged View of the hinge; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the new latch plate on an enlarged scale.

In play yards, cribs, etc., particularly adapted for the use of children, it is advantageous to have the same foldable for carrying and storage purposes and this involves providing latching means which are efficient, practicable, and which will not injure the children or the attendants manipulating the play yard, crib, etc.

This invention provides a semi-concealed, housed latching means which cannot catch the fingers.

The present invention is shown as applied to the hinged end members In and I2 of a play yard or crib. These members are hinged together at M and they are also hinged as at E6 to the side rail members is. The end members In and I2 can swing inwardly together and lie flatly against the corresponding members 18 as is well known in the art which needs no further recitation insofar as this invention is concerned.

The hinges I 4 are at the outside aspects of the ends rails l0 and I2 and the novel latch generally indicated at 20 appears at the inside aspects thereof, see Fig. 1. When the members l0 and i2 are latched, they must be in aligned end- 'pens with the typical conventional swinging '2 to-end relation as shown in Fig. 1, or the latch cannot be applied or operated to latch the members together. When these members are unlatched, they may be swung in as described.

The details of the new latch are shown in Figs. 3-6 inclusive. These figures show the members I!) and I2 having an ornamental strip 22 thereon and joined by hinge l 4, see particularly Fig. 5. The hinge is positioned at one side of the two members in and I2 so that they abut each other in extended relation but the two leaves of the hinge come together in folded relation of the members.

At the side aspects of members l0 and I2 opposite the hinges, they are provided with recesses 24, 26. When members l8 and I2 are aligned as in Fig. 3, the two recesses 24 and 25 combine to form a single elongated recess. Each recess contains a headed fastener device such as a screw as at 28 and 30 received in slots 32, 34 of a slidable plate 36. The slot 34 is merely elongated as shown, but the slot 32 is provided with a small keyhole type of extension 38. The plate 36 is a flat preferably punched metal member having 2. turned up thumb piece 45 which extends outwardly from the recess 24, although the main portion of plate 36 is Wholly contained within the combined recesses 24 and 25 when the device is latched, i. e., in its leftwardmost position, see Fig. 3.

In order to open the latch the thumb piece is engaged and the latching plate 36 is moved to its rightwardmost position as indicated in Fig. 1, whereupon head 28 is contained within slot 32, the latter being larger than the head and the lat-ch plate then being completely free of member it but still engaged with member [2 due to the fact that head 30 is larger than the width of slot 34. The hinge l4 may then be operated to fold the device in the conventional manner.

The latch plate is completely housed within the recesses 24 and 26 when it is in latched position. It is almost impossible for an infant to operate these latches to open them once they are closed and it is definitely impossible for an infant to catch his fingers therein, as often haplatch.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what we claim is:

A latch for selectively securing a pair of pivoted members together in aligned relation only and being movable to free the members to swing on their pivot axis, a hinge at one combined side surface of the pivoted members, said latch being located at the opposite combined side surfaces of the pivoted members and comprising means forming a recess in each member joining and combining into a single recess when the members are aligned, a sliding latch plate in one recess, said latch plate being provided with a slot, a headed fastener in the slot holding the plate slidably in the one recess, a second headed fastener in the other recess, said latch plate being provided with a key-hole slot, the portion of the plate containing the key-hole slot extending out of the one recess into the other when the members are aligned and the second headed fastener entering the larger part of the key-hole slot, so that a shift of the plate latches the two members together, the portion of the plate containing the key-hole slot being held by the first headed fastener in extended condition from the one recess to enter the other recess in a direction transversely thereto upon swinging of the pivoted members to aligned position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 565,115 Mayfield Aug. 4, 1896 821,861 Croft May 29, 1906 1,701,670 Feldman Feb. 12, 1929 2,034,171 Barrett Mar. 1'7, 1936 2,148,789 Unger Feb. 28, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,126 Great Britain Sept. 20, 1890 318,801 France July 5, 1902 

